I’ve just completed the first batch of pictures last week for the The Ark Studios, a high-end professional sound recording studio in TTDI. The studio provides a creative professional environment for high-end recording, mixing & CD mastering. The owner, Nick Lee wanted visual documentation of his premises for promotional materials.
The first two pictures above were merged from multiple exposures. I tried underexposing the ambient and balancing that against flash, but I realised there were just too many surface irregularities up in the ceiling and walls which would cast unsightly shadows. Hence, I opted for an ambient-only exposure.
The final picture above was balanced against flash, a full pop bounced off an 180 cm reflector to camera right. All pictures’ distorted perspectives were corrected in post and warmth introduced thereafter. I kept the ambient a little on the downside to simulate the moody lighting.
The Ark Studios is every musician or performing band’s dream jamming haven. This one stop audio facility features some very cool line up of hardware, musical instruments and top-notch sound proofing modifications to ensure perfect generation, capturing and rendering of crisp, deep and rich audio content.
The above picture shows the simple lighting setup I used for the above amp product shots. 1 key light bounced off a large 180 cm reflector, and another hand held speedlite bounced off the wall to my left. I opted for a lower angle to give the amps a more commanding look over the viewer. I had to run a few tries to ensure the specular highlights landed right on the perfect spot, and yet retain detail.
I reckon the place must have undergone customized renovations in the region of the price of an above average residential real estate. Equipped with a hybrid collection of boutique high end Class A analog gear and the latest digital recording system, The Ark Studios caters to both the local and international music industry.
Lastly, I finished off with a simple ambient-only shot of the setup of the drums as I was rushing off for another assignment. I took multiple exposures and merged them to ensure the floors were not overblown.
Besides the more commonly known music production for albums, The Ark Studios also provides services in a wide range of audio related works, namely radio/TV commercials, audio and music for animation, soundtrack productions, song composition/arrangement/productions, TV/movies, corporate projects and audio consultancy.
I will be concluding this series soon with the final batch of images, once some new equipment arrive at the studio. I’m indeed excited over the next few interior shots of the “cooler” sections of the studio. Stay tuned!